The District Chronicles
by epicflamingninja
Summary: (Takes place after the 74th annual Hunger Games) Katniss and Peeta have won the games together. The Capitol seems to not care about the two victors, but opinions can change in Panem. Life is good for the lovers, but soon they will discover that the Hunger Games leaves no one unscathed. This is The District Chronicles
1. On the Way

**Hey Guys! My name is Mari and like many readers I love "The Hunger Games" and the whole entire collection of books. This is my first fanfic about this specific book and I hope that you love it. I am completely devoted to writing and have two other series' (visit my profile to see them). I am fairly new to writing fanfics, but so far it has been amazing! I really appreciate when people give me reviews, follows, favorites, and even constructive criticism if necessary. ENJOY the first chapter of ****_The District Chronicles_**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO ANY OF THE HUNGER GAMES CHARACTERS OR STORYLINES**

**On the Way **(Katniss POV)

The beginning of train ride home was much better than I had expected. Haymitch was drinking a lot more than usual, if that's possible, but at least this time he had a reason. Peeta and I had won the Hunger Games together. After that, Peeta felt that he had to pay off some debt to me. I was starting to get a "you saved my life! I am eternally grateful" vibe and honestly, it was freaking me out.

I now know that Peeta was not acting when he had stroked my hair and held me while I slept in the cave during the games. He truly loves me, but I am not completely sure if the feeling is mutual. All the things that he confessed while we were in the cave make him seem like kind of a stalker. I mean, seriously! He watched me walk home EVERY DAY for at least 5 years. That is pretty freaky. I guess you could say that it's romantic, but I just can't get past the stalker aspect of it all.

About a day ago, Peeta, Haymitch, Effie, and I had loaded onto the train. We have been very relaxed other than stuffing our faces with as much food as we can find. I feel a little bad for Peeta though. He is still getting used to his prothetic leg that the Capitol doctors and surgeons put on him when we boarded the hovercraft after the games. Now I can remember how I was freaking out. I don't know what came over me. I didn't even think that I loved him. Man, now looking back on the event I realized that I was screaming bloody murder. I wasn't just screaming though; I was yelling Peeta's name. I still felt an urgent sense of protection for him even though the games were finished. Maybe I did love him.

There was a knock on my cabin door. Peeta strolled in looking pleasant, but still a little shaky on his new leg.

"Good morning Katniss! How was your night?"

"Well, I had another nightmare where you and I died. You know, just the usual."

"Sounds fun. Do you want to walk to breakfast together?"

"Ok. I wonder what the chefs have prepared for us on this fine morning," I mocked in my best Capital accent, "probably something that tastes really good, but has an extremely odd coloration."

"Or smells like roses," laughed Peeta. We always tried to make each other laugh in an attempt to forget the gigantic scars on our lives for just a minute.

"Come-on my fellow victor, lets go stuff our faces with the catch of the day."

We held hands as we walked across two compartments and into the dinning car. Effie was there along with Haymitch. As usual, we sat ourselves down at the mahogany table and conversed about the daily gossip. Everyone was interested but me. I was too busy having a flashback about my second day on the train. I had stabbed the table and Haymitch had been a smart-ass and Effie had yelled 'that is mahogany'! I was so angry then, but now I realized how funny it actually was. Everything had been so serious before we had won the games. It seems as though everything that happened before the Hunger Games was different now.

"Katniss, Katniss," Effie yelled as she was trying to break my trance.

"Yes Effie?"

"What is your opinion on the latest Capitol fashion craze?"

"Sorry, what was the latest fashion craze?"

"Lip enlargement!"

"That is revolting. Why in Panem would anyone ever want to make their lips bigger?"

"I agree with Katniss," Peeta said, clearly trying to kiss up, "that is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of. In district 12 we can't even enlarge our food supply, much less our lips!"

"Calm down," Haymitch retorted with a drunken look on his face, "sweetheart, could you pass me your knife?"

"Why," I said.

"Because we don't want the poor table to have to suffer your wrath again. He was injured badly the last time."

Everyone laughed at this. Haymitch could make a joke even in his wasted state of being.

I finally finished eating and decided to go back into my room. Maybe to sleep, but probably not.

There was another knock on my door. "May I enter," Peeta whispered from outside my door.

"What do you want now?"

"It's a surprise."

"I have had too many of those in the past month. Tell me what you want bread boy!"

"If you unlock the door than I will."

"I never locked the door. Just come in!"

For a moment I freaked out. Had someone locked my door from the outside?

Then Peeta burst through the door and kissed me. It felt so good to be kissed again. I was happy that he had come in. This is what I needed right now.

We lay in my bed and just cuddled for a while. Maybe this time I could fall asleep since I had Peeta with me. But one thing was driving me crazy.

I had heard a clicking sound right before Peeta had opened the door. Maybe someone or something actually had locked the door from the outside. I wanted to think about it more, but I was just so relaxed around Peeta that every time I tried to focus, the thought left my mind.

Before I knew it, I was asleep in Peeta's strong arms. The moment before I drifted off though, I heard the lock click again. This time it was shutting us in.

Someone was undoubtedly watching us and when I awoke, I was going to find out who.


	2. Suspicions

**Hey everybody, its Mari again. I am very happy to know that you are all interested in this series. I have already had some follows and favorites which makes me very grateful. Thanks so much for being loyal readers. Get ready to be roped in to these next few chapters! ENJOY the latest chapter of ****_The District Chronicles_**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO ANY OF THE HUNGER GAMES CHARACTERS OR STORYLINES**

**Suspicions **(Peeta's POV)

I was so happy that Katniss had let me in her room, because I had been standing outside for ten minutes. I was thinking about what to say to her for those minutes. We had been to hell and back together, but I still felt as though we couldn't connect. I notice that she is still haunted by the games, but I wish that she would feel safe around me. The 74th annual Hunger Games did put a scar on my life, but I fear that Katniss' wound may never heal. She is still attached to that poor little district 11 girl who died in her arms. What would I have done if Katniss had passed away in my presence? At least she was with me now. Alive

Katniss had fallen asleep in my arms and I could tell that she was relaxed for once in her life. No nightmares distorted her mind and no images of dead tributes made her squirm. She was at peace... finally. I rubbed her back and tried to settle myself down, but my legs still throbbed. One from bearing most of my weight and the other because it was not a real leg at all.

It was hard to drift away into the world of dreams when your life is already full of too many scares to count.

While Katniss was snoring quietly and sweetly, as usual, I kept her warm within my grasp. Normally, I would fall asleep along with her and hold to her chest until she shoved me away, but at the moment I could not keep my mind off the thought of what it will be like to return home. I knew that many people, including my own parents, believed that I would not come home alive. In my brian I viewed the images of their smiling faces as they realized how I proved them wrong. I am coming home, but not alone. I am returning with the girl that I had hopelessly been in love with since before I can remember. And more than anything, I know that this girl loves me back. My love in no longer one sided.

Katniss shifted in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes. For a split second I felt her body jolt; the Hunger Games reaction and realization of capture. Soon she relaxed though, remembering her location and that she was trapped in my arms and not a net.

I didn't know how long she was asleep, but we had definitely missed lunch and would be eating a late dinner. The sun was setting over the train tracks of district 5.

"Rise and shine sleepy head," I said softly as I unfurled my grip on Katniss.

"What time is it Peeta? Did we miss lunch?"

"I don't know and yes. It looks to be around 6:45 though. The sun is already setting."

"God, I'm hungry!"

"Those two weeks of Capitol life changed you! Before you were little miss 'don't worry, I'll eat tomorrow' and now you can't go more than five hours without stuffing your pretty little face."

"Peeta, please respect my need for food. In case you had forgotten, I also just spent a few weeks on this TV show called the HUNGER Games. They sent us fireballs, tracker-jackers, and a small supply of critter to eat. I also met this handsome guy in a cave and we made out a few times. It was kind of a big deal."

"He sounds like a charmer! Wow, I wonder how much that cave cost him. 'Waiter, a rock for two please'. It's so hard to get good service these days."

"Speaking of service, do you want to just eat dinner in here tonight? We could have one of the avox girls bring in something tasty and watch some real TV."

"Effie would be disappointed. She always wants to see us at meals and to skip two in a row would be rude."

"To hell with her! I want some real quality time with the handsome cave guy and that rock for two sounds nice."

I looked up, tired of arguing with Katniss. While gazing at the metal ceiling, I noticed a small camera moving. The lens was pointed towards us and its focus was in the same direction.

"Katniss. Do you see that up there?"

"Where?"

This was so weird. Why would there be cameras on this train. I pointed near the small devices and tried to keep still.

"I knew something was up," murmured Katniss, "when you came in the room earlier, I heard some sort of lock click. That was right before you burst in. What do you think is happening Peeta?"

"I don't know, but it's definitely something. We need to watch our backs Katniss. Maybe we should go eat with Haymitch and Effie after all."

We made our way to the door, but when Katniss' hand touched the handle, her eyes grew wider and she started to panic. I knew right away that we were locked in.

We yelled for help, but as far as we could tell, the other two passengers on this train had already gone to dinner. For now, we could see no way of getting out.


	3. Mistakes

**Hey people, it's Mari. Happy almost weekend. I hope that everyone had a fun week and got a bunch of stuff accomplished! I am so sorry for not posting in a couple of days. My school had term two exams last week and that was just the highlight of my term; NOT. I guess they were kind of easy, so that's a plus. Well, ENJOY the newest chapter of ****_The District Chronicles_**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO ANY OF THE HUNGER GAMES CHARACTERS OR STORY LINES**

**Mistakes **(Katniss' POV)

Peeta and I were locked in my room together. Not that it bad that I was with him, but the being locked part was bad for our standards.

We yelled as loud as we could, but we were sure that Effie was too focused on some Capitol celebrity gossip show and Haymitch was too drunk, not that that was unusual though. Still, they both must have been very absorbed in what they were doing. They had no time for, oh I don't know, USING THEIR EARS! Seriously, all they had to do was pay attention in the slightest and would be able to hear our ecstatic shouts.

Peeta repeatedly tried to bash the door down, but it's magnetic pull on the frame of the wall was too strong. This train was built to have magnetic locks, but even that still makes a clicking noise when locked. Unlike regular doors, these did not have cracks on the bottom that we might be able to slip a note through. Even better, my room did not have a window to the inside of the hall, so no one could see us either. This would be really fun; just Peeta and I trying to save ourselves, you know, the norm. Some egotistical Capital junky watching our every move, as usual. You would think that these were the good old days! We wish. I was 16, not 80 and these days were far from good.

Still, this routine did seem like grade F Capital crap. I would relax, letting my guard down for a while and they would pounce on me as if they were a hungry cat living in the Seam and I a plump mouse. No food for the hungry (not really because they feed me a lot) and no rest for the weak. Same old, same old. I was getting tired of being their new and improved prey. I wish that they would just feed on some other lonely soul for a while.

Trapped still, Peeta and I continued to scramble around the room in search of a way out. The air duct was sealed tightly and the windows to the outside of the train were obviously not made of glass. So far, no discoveries that would help us get out of here.

After at least 20 minutes of panic, I heard footsteps in the hall. "Effie? Haymitch? Are you there?"

"Katniss? It's Effie. Darling, open the door, so I can hear you more clearly!"

"We are trapped in here! The door must have been locked by someone or something! We need help Effie," voiced Peeta, "go get Haymitch! He will know what to do."

"Oh, goodness gracious, why does everything have to be so unorthodox in this stupid country," Effie yelled as her footsteps started moving in the direction of the train car's door.

Hopefully we were saved, but neither of us knew what sort of state Haymitch was in. He could have been drunken, angry, mad, depressed, or just damn right stupid.

Finally, the two sets of footsteps re-appeared and slowed to a stop directly in front of my door.

"Sweetheart, let me check the door," Haymitch sputtered as taps and clicks were heard from the outside of my room. Hopefully his inpection would give us answers. "I don't think that it's locked because if it was, the small lock on the door would be turned sideways. As of now, it is upright. I think that the door is just broken or perhaps jammed."

"So, what do we do now? Stay in here for the duration of our train ride," muttered Peeta sarcastically.

"No genius. There should be an emergency tool kit under the bed. Why did you not think of looking under there Mr. victor sir?"

"Because there were no luxury beds inside the area and we also thought that the door was locked, not jammed."

"Toche," laughed Haymitch, surprised at his loss of the conversation battle. "Alright then. Could you find the tool kit then kiddo?"

I walked over to my Capital made bed and pulled up the sheets. Located underneath was a plethora of emergency kits: Food, water, survival, hospital supplies, and finally, tools. The label read 'Tools: for the repair and proper care of your train room.'

"I found the box. What do we need to fix this stupid door?"

"Well, all you need for this matter is a magnet and/or a hammer. Would you like your door to be broken or repaired sweetheart?"

"I would prefer fixed over broken, but whatever we need to do to get it open."

"I can do it Katniss," Peeta said while gesturing for me to hand him the two tools.

"Fine, but try not to break my door! I have had enough openness in my life for one month."

"Ok, Haymitch, what should I do?"

"Just connect the magnet to the nearest piece of wall. If I'm right, the door should pop open easily after that. The pull of three magnets will be too strong and its hold on the door will release."

Peeta did as our usually drunken friend had said and it worked! We were free to eat dinner and walk around the train car as we pleased. Together, we walked into Effie's embrace and inside the hallway.

"How did you survive four hours alone with the girl on fire?" Haymitch was really starting to get on my nerves.

"She is not that bad when you calm the flames, you know," retorted Peeta.

"And how did you do that? This girl is like a time bomb."

"I think bread boy can keep his thoughts to himself for once," I interjected, "lets go Peeta. I'm starving." At least we weren't trapped in there like someones next meal.

I really hoped that everything that Haymitch had said about the door being jammed was true, but I could not be sure. The distinct clicking noise could not vacate my thoughts as I was finishing dinner with Peeta. I had been sure that we were locked in.

I guess that it was just a mistake... or not.


	4. Home

**Hey guys, it's Mari. I apologize for not writing for a while, but we all have real lives outside of this website. Anyway, I think that you will really like this next chapter. ITS PEETA'S TURN! He makes me happy and it's really fun to write in his point of view. MARI'S 'MY LIFE' WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE: This week I have gotten some awesome new glasses, but not just any glasses; HIPSTER GLASSES. Also, my school has started term 3 of my school year this week and my classes are ok. Nothing too extremely hard (thank gosh). Alright, well, ENJOY the most recent chapter of _The District Chronicles_**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO ANY OF THE HUNGER GAMES CHARACTERS OR STORY LINES**

**Home **(Peeta's POV)

Today was the day that we were expected to return home. I was so relieved when I heard that Katniss and I were to go on the welcome stage together. I could have never faced the huge cheering crowds without her hand in mine. We were extremely compatible.

There was a soft tap on my door and in walked my beautiful Katniss, "Good morning Peeta. Sweet dreams I presume?"

"I wish."

"What was it? Cato again? The cornucopia or when he stabbed you?"

"Yes, but I was just running from him this time. He always catches up and kills me. It makes me wonder if we were never meant to survive."

"Well, we sure proved them wrong, didn't we?"

"Ya, but I'm still not sure that we are completely safe; completely protected. I'm worried Katniss. What if we defied their rules, but also their plan?"

"Peeta! We are victors and I promise that I will be with you for as long as possible. How could they have planned for us to die? Why are we so important?"

"I don't know, but we might be valuable to the capitol. They want us dead and had planned it that way in the games, but somehow we strayed from what they desired. We broke the chain of control."

Katniss sighed and walked over to sit on my bed. "Peeta, relax! We just survived the freakin' Hunger Games for gosh sake. It's ok. If you notice some strange things every now and then, I promise that it does not mean the end of the world. Just relax!"

"Katniss, list-," but I was stopped short by her lips pressing against mine. I could tell that she had just done it to shut me up, but it sure felt good. Damn I loved her, and I didn't have to kiss her to reassure myself of that.

She pulled my in by my shirt and stood up from the bed. I was so caught up in all this stupid mess, and now the kiss, that I had forgotten we were very close to home. Finally, I took a breath, "Ok, I think that I can relax now."

"Thats what I thought. Lets go Mr. Victor, we have an entrance to make!"

She reached over to grab my hand, but I made her job a bit easier by putting my arm around her waist instead. We strode over to the door and unlike earlier this week, it turned perfectly.

Together, Katniss and I walked toward the outside door of the train. I could already hear the crowds shouting our names at the top of their lungs. The satisfaction of how I survived and who I was holding by the waist was soaking into my mind. I had really defeated the Hunger Games and come out with the most wonderful girl possible.

Slowly and as proud as can be, we walked into the frame of the door while the groups of people yelled.

Although it was fun, the announcing of the victors flashed through my mind very fast and most was a blur.

The next thing that I remembered was walking into my parents old bakery. They didn't need it anymore because the winnings from my victory had been enough to live off for at least until I die. This place gave me so many great memories like decorating the cakes and cookies, having Katniss deliver game, and giving her that bread in a street. I think that was the first time that she really noticed me.

Before I upset myself too much though, I decided to leave my old home and go for a walk around District 12. Victor's Village could wait.

Walking around the Seam was lonely and sad because of the starved children running in the streets and the frail adults who had inhuman glints in their eyes. I was just going through an alley as a short cut back to Victor's Village when I heard someone murmur behind me, "Welcome home bread boy." It was Gale, the very man I had hoped to not encounter this day. Usually I would face a person during a conversation, but right now I was definitely not in the mood.

"Thanks."

"Long trip home, huh?"

"Ya, I guess, why do you care?"

"Just wanted to congratulate District 12's very own victor."

"Katniss is a victor too and last I checked you and her were on better terms than I."

For a moment, he seemed to lose his cool, nonchalant manor, "Shut up," he said with a fire in his eyes. I could tell that the conversation had shifted to an unsafe topic and my best chance of survival was to get out as fast as possible. I was still curious though...

"What was that?"

"I said _shut up _Peeta, just shut up!"

"I can do what I want Gale!"

"Anything? Like fall in love with Katniss?" Now he was angry, but I could not stand here and watch him say things about me.

"Why do you care?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, Gale ran up and held me tightly by the lining of my shirt. My hand went directly on top of his in an attempt to free myself, but he was too quick. His other hand pinned my forearm to the wall. He was in control now.

The hatred in his eyes shone through like mist during a sunset and for a split second, it felt as though he might reach over and kill me right then.

"Like you don't know. I bet you don't even love her. Just some way to get stupid sponsors to save your pathetic life," Gale spat, being sure to get his sweat and grit all over my face. This was stupid, but saying that I did not love Katniss was definitely crossing a personal line.

"Big mistake."

I pulled my good leg up and was just fast enough to knee him in the stomach as I took off running. It would only be a matter of time before he caught up with me, for he had an extra leg than I did.

Sprinting down the alley, I soon felt an impact of 150 pounds of Gale pulling me downward. Shit, he was faster than I thought.

My face collided with the concrete ground and I most certainly heard my own nose break as a sharp pain moved throughout my body. So this is what it felt like to get your ass kicked.

"Your the one who made a mistake... the minute you confessed your love for her I started to hate you more and more," he stifled out as he flipped my body to the sky rather harshly, "not that we were on good terms anyway."

His legs were secured firmly on top of mine, pinning me to the ground completely. With my injury, there was no route of escape, but I just hoped that he wouldn't kill me. I doubted that he would though. Katniss loved me and if she knew that Gale had killed me, she might kill him just to feel some justice.

I struggled so hard that I thought my ribs would concave, but Gale was in control. He put one of his legs on top of my stomach, so I had no place that I could escape and no places to punch or even kick him.

"Get off of me!"

"Never. I'll stay on top of you all night if I have to and if I go down your coming with me!"

"Why the hell do want me dead Gale?"

"No, not dead, just in a whole lot of pain," he said, purposely putting more pressure on my hip, close to the place where they chopped my leg off. I flinched, making the mistake of showing him that I am, in fact, in pain. "Oh, sorry, I am hurting you?"

"What do you think? I bet you've never faced off with someone your own size."

"You are my size, but I guess you're at a bit of an bit of a disadvantage," he whispered as he dug even harder into my hip.

"I can't believe Katniss ever liked you, even as _just _a friend," I yelled as loud as I could with a teenage boy on my chest, but as soon as I said the words, I knew they were the wrong choice. A hard hand come down on my face with so much power that I had to re-a-just my eyes to the sky after.

"Wrong, she liked me long before you and I am pretty sure she still does. And no one is going to change that, not even you bread boy. If you say one word about this to her... well, your gonna miss your teeth if you know what I mean, got it?"

I was silent. No angry jerk was going to tell me that I can't talk to Katniss. I can do whatever I want.

Another punch made contact with my face, this time making sure that my nose was broken, but by now it might be double broken if that's possible.

"Why so quiet? Kat-niss got your tongue? Ya, pun intended...," he murmured as I once again struggled against my human bonds.

"Shut up and just kill me already Gale."

"No. I am going to enjoy this as much as possible. This may be the only time I ever get to beat the living crap out of you."

"Great, this will be fun. I wish you had a weapon so we could make this faster! Maybe take away another of my limbs?"

Just then, a glint of shinning light came from Gale's pocket. Oh no... he has a knife. Not just any knife, but a switch blade. Why do my opponents always have weapons?

"Be careful what you wish for Peeta..."

"Why don't you just go hunt something and then fall onto your own knife!"

"Cut the crap before your teeth get the treatment a bit early! So far they are the only weapon you have against me."

"You seriously think that I would bite you? That is gross. Who would willingly order 'Chunk of Gale'?"

"Someone who wants to live... unlike you."

I was about to retort something back, but once again, my hairy enemy struck first. His lightning fast punches were enough to seriously damage my senses and my brain. I was running out of strength and comebacks, but mostly strength.

I was about to just close my eyes and wait for the worst to be over, but then I heard him yelling things as he continually struck blows all over my body: "This is for all of the times you stared at Katniss when she was walking home, this is for all of the dumb googliy eyes you made at her whenever she came to sell you food...," and the list went on and on.

One particularly long phrase caught my attention though:

"And this is for when you and her were in the cave during the games. She was determined on saving your life and set out to go get that healing cream. If that had been me, I would have never let her go like that... I would have insisted that she not risk her life for me, unlike you. If I had to die than at least she would be in my arms while it happened. You made her risk her own life for no reason and almost died because of it."

I wanted to yell at him and object and tell him how wrong he was, but I was out of breath and my jaw was certainly not in the right place. I could tell that he was sad now, but still full of rage.

"Now that I have stated my reasons and given you a nice long shower from hell, its time for baby to go to bed."

He stopped the punches, stood up, and released me from his grip, but I was too weak to get up and he knew it. I lie there, feeling as if I were a painting in the alley that we were in. I could not move, but I was there.

I awaited what I was sure would come next. One, two, three, four... and there it was. Gale's iron fist coming at me with more speed than it had for the last ten minutes. He had jumped up and was planning to smash in my face. The power had been collected from six feet above and was about to come raining down on the street painting.

"Lights out lover boy."

As pain exploded from all parts of my head, I recognized a broken face frame, broken nose, an off track jaw, a cracked skull, and possibly a concussion. Recovery would be hard and excruciatingly painful. I thought that the Hunger Games were over, but I guess not.

As you might have expected, I blacked out without a single thought in my brain.


	5. Revenge

**Hey guys, it's Mari! I apologize for not writing for a super long time. Every day I would get somewhat mad at myself for not writing. Ok, so, this series is about to blow up and I am ridiculously excited about it! I already have the next 2-3 chapters played out in my mind. I AM SO PUMPED! It's gonna be great. Anyone see the Catching Fire trailer? PM or Review your thoughts. Here is the next chapter of ****_The District Chronicles _**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO ANY OF THE HUNGER GAMES CHARACTERS OR STORY LINES**

**Revenge **(Peeta's POV)

I woke up inside the forests of what I believed was District 12 with a few ropes tied around my ankles and wrists. This is when you know something bad happened. I blame Gale 120% for everything.

Who provoked me? Gale.

Who knew that he could kick my butt? Gale.

Who hates my freakin' guts? Um, I don't know. Wait... Gale.

Who tied me up and put me in a forest? Wow, that's so har- Gale.

I pulled myself into a sitting position on the weed infested ground. There was a bow, three arrows, and a note that read: 'I saw your attempt to shoot arrows in the games and thought that you needed some private practice. Happy Hunting, Gale.' Man, this guy sure had a large sense of humor. There was no way that I could hit a moving target with my hands tied up or even a tree with my hands open.

I still ached from all the punches that I had received the day before. I could feel bruises forming, cuts infecting, and pain throbbing from everywhere on my body, but mostly on my face and the area of my amputated leg.

In an attempt to free myself, I wriggled on the ground while rubbing the cords together as fast as possible, creating enough friction to possibly start a fire. It sounded crazy and painful, but my life is already crazy and I have definitely felt worse.

I continued scraping the ropes together and braced myself for the burst of white hot flame, but felt nothing. My hands broke free anyway.

It appeared that there were 2 tiny hooks on the end of my bindings that came free after I had made lots of movement. Well, at least Gale had made life for me slightly easier. Maybe a sense of humor comes with a forgiving nature. Who knew, but at last I was free.

I jumped up, put the bow in one hand, and began to look for berries on the surrounding bushes. Lord only knows how long it would take for me to find a couple lazy birds that were just asking to be shot at. I would probably miss them easily no matter what though. I had never been any good with arrows.

Why couldn't my challenge be baking a cake or something? I was really good at that. Baking Games winner: Peeta Mellark. It could happen.

I told myself to wake the heck up and focus. This was the wild. Not Hunger Games wild, but lets just say that there are no rose smelling showers in the outdoors. And definitely no fire spewing costumes either. This was what life was like for people before Panem was formed, or so I have been told. At least there were no hidden cameras inside trees or tracker-jacker nests lurking on high branches. That would suck. It would be almost as bad as getting my leg half ripped off by Cato. Note the word 'almost'.

Ok, Peeta, seriously! FOCUS. Speed. Agility. Strength. Swiftness. Berries. I need some berries.

Mission 1, Day 1: Berry hunting

I walked through bushes and ducked under branches in search of the perfect health food. Finally I made it to a small patch of assorted shrubbery. Viciously, I dove for the dark blue circular berries.

I know what you're thinking,'score! Blueberries,' and believe me, I thought the exact same thing for a few seconds.

Triumphantly, I lifted the fruit up to my mouth and prepared for it's sweet goodness to make contact with my tongue. 5,4,3,2- STOP

Nightlock. Why is it always nightlock? I am so dumb sometimes. Katniss would have second-guessed-it right from the start.

I wished she were here, but having her save my butt twice would be just flat out embarrassing. I needed to show her the side of me that does not bake cakes for a living! The side that did not just get his ass kicked by her older-kind-of-boyfriend-person. The side that actually knows how to survive in the wilderness.

It's a darn shame that that side actually does not exist inside me.

Mission 1, Day 1: FAILED

No berries and a near death experience.

Mission 2, Day 1: Getting the hell out of here

I walk near a tree and think about sitting down or aborting the mission when I hear a low buzzing sound.

I run in the direction of the noise and realize what I had come upon. It was the electric fence that 'protected' District 12. Maybe I could save myself if I actually found it. Maybe I could be self-reliant for once! That would be amazing, for once.

After a few minutes of wandering near the sound, I finally came face to face with the glowing fence that was aligned with forest.

I walked toward it hesitantly, making sure to not brush my skin up against its sharp and electric cord. Soon I saw no other choice but to try my luck and jump over it, possibly using a tree branch to lift myself higher.

I climbed a nearby thick tree that could undoubtedly support my weight. It was a bit hard with my fake leg, but I tried because this was between life and death. Ready to jump, I closed my eyes and focused on what I had to do. The harsh buzzing still encompassed the area around me. One, two, three... JUMP! That was what I was going to think when I was about to jump.

Ok, here we go. One, two, three... Wait, the buzzing noise suddenly stopped. Oh thank god! I would have been fried in less than a minute. The peacekeepers had turned off the electric part of the fence.

I jumped down from the tree and felt a burst of pain in my leg, but I had to keep moving. One of the ten cords on the fence was loose, so I pulled it free and slipped through the space between. Bye bye forest. Good riddance!

As I was walking into Victors Village to find Katniss, I was stopped by a group of peacekeepers who I had never seen before.

"Hey kid, why are you making your way into a restricted area? Read much?"

"Excuse me, my name is Peeta Mellark and I just won the Hunger Games, so if you would please let me in, that would be great."

"Have an ID Victor?"

"They haven't given me one yet."

"Interesting. Why are you so scruffed up kid?"

"Got beat up by an older guy from this district."

The three men began to laugh, "You got beaten up by a kid from your own district? And you won the games?" They looked dumb struck, "Don't tell my that your girlfriend did this too you?"

"Are you kidding? This was an 18 year old, 150 pound guy who had a severe vengeance against me. I was unarmed. He could have killed me."

"So you were bet up by a regular townsperson?"

"A little past regular, but if we weren't talking specifics, than yes."

"Being a Victor, you could file an arrest warrant for the guy who hurt you. The charges all depend on what he did."

"First he cornered and tackled me, pinned me to the street, punched me in my amputated leg, and broke multiple bones in my body. After that I was knocked out. That was yesterday. Today I found myself tied up in the forests of District 12. I managed to break my bonds and find my way home."

"He must really hate you. Anyway, with all these offenses, he could be publicly abused or even killed."

I thought for a moment. I wanted that guy to burn in hell so much, but Katniss would be really upset if her friend died. Also, Gale had decided not to kill me when I was down, so I guessed that I owed it to him. He still needed to feel pain though, "Not killed, but publicly abused sounds like a good enough punishment. First arrest him though."

"Of course, sir. Should we alert you when he is in captivity?"

"No, I don't care much about that. Just injure him enough and let him go. I don't want too much trouble."

"Mercy from a Victor?"

"Shut up."

"Fine. What's his name then?"

"Gale Hawthorne."

"Oh, he has been suspected for previous crimes around the district. Did you know that?"

"Yes, I did know."


End file.
